Produce Pointers – Tomatoes

The classic succulent vegetable of summer is ripe for your salads, sandwiches and salsa.  Tomatoes can be used many ways to make good food with good nutrition.

Uses & Preparation

Unripe tomatoes take 3 to 4 days to ripen.  Use ripe tomatoes within a day or two.  For best flavor, do not refrigerate.  Slice, wedge or dice; sprinkle with a fresh herb, drizzle with olive oil and serve.  Wonderful with slices of avocado, but then skip the olive oil.  Stuff with seafood, chicken, or pasta salad.  Cherry tomatoes make a delicious, nutritious snack by themselves.

Selection

Ripe tomatoes will give slightly to gentle pressure.

Storage

Store unwashed at room temperature and out of direct sunlight.

 

Tomato, Zucchini & Onion

2 cups sliced tomato

2 cups sliced zucchini

2 cups sliced onion

1 1/2 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning

1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

dash of pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Layer onion, tomato, and zucchini in a 2-quart casserole dish that has been sprayed with a non-stick coating. Sprinkle each layer with seasonings.  Bake for 30-45 minutes, depending on how soft you want the vegetables.

Basil Tomatoes

The addition of basil gives an excellent flavor to fresh tomatoes.

2 cups tomatoes, diced or sliced

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Mix ingredient and let sit at room temperature at least 1 hour.  Serve plain or on a lettuce leaf.

Nutrition Information

Excellent source of vitamin C.  Good source of vitamin A.

Available Fresh

June – July & September – October

To learn about fresh Florida tomatoes, please read our fact sheet: Panhandle Produce Pointers – Tomatoes

For more delicious produce preparation tips, please visit: http://www.panhandleproducepointers.com.

For a quick and easy salsa, please visit:  Easy Salsa

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